Closing the Loop’s CEO and co-founder, Joost de Kluijver, recently joined Paul Essery on his Tech Business podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of circular tech, the barriers to scaling green initiatives, and the reasons why real change happens when sustainability moves beyond CSR and into the hands of commercial teams.
In the interview, Joost shares how, for over a decade, Closing the Loop has been turning the global challenge of electronic waste into an opportunity from an unconventional angle: by making it commercially attractive.
Sustainability was, for many years, considered a niche concern and something delegated to CSR teams or pilot projects. However, one of the most significant insights in Closing the Loop’s journey has been the realization that circularity can only truly scale by people holding the mandate to make business decisions.
That may sound counterintuitive coming from a sustainability-focused company, but at its heart, Closing the Loop isn’t just about e-waste or recycling. Beyond infrastructure and logistics, Closing the Loop’s work is also about changing perceptions and proving that positive impact can be built into the core of a commercial business.
As Joost explains:
“We’re not here to guilt people into being green. We’re here to show that green can be a winning strategy for companies, for customers, and for the planet.”
When companies realize that they can use circularity to differentiate, to win tenders, to connect with customers, then sustainability stops being a side concern and transforms into a competitive advantage and an innovative benefit.
More than a company update, this podcast is a look inside the thinking behind Closing the Loop’s unique model, the shifts happening in the tech industry, and how companies can turn environmental challenges into growth opportunities.
Listen to the full podcast interview here.
